Crossed Bones
by pinksugarrush
Summary: Kyo visits an antique shops, and finds a strange attraction toward a certain skull. It's not a human skull though. The manager claims that it's fake, but Kyo thinks otherwise. Strange things start happening and Kyo starts to act odd.
1. Prologue Paying the Price

Prologue: Paying the Price

"How much is it?" Kyo tested the skull in his hand. A very nice weight.

"How much do you think it's worth?" The old man beside him chuckled.

Kyo gritted his teeth. He wasn't a man known for his patient or childish indulgence such as 'guessing games'; though he was known for his temperamental attitude. However, today, he tried to restrain his ire and be nice. "I don't know."

"Fifteen dollars for it." The man sighed, bluntly disappointed that his try for a game was turned down so immediately.

"No return policy, right?" Kyo inserted his finger into the empty eye sockets before pulling it back.

"Yes."

"I'll take it." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could even process what he had just said. Kyo handed the skull to the man.

The man smiled as he unclasped his hands from behind his back. "A very good choice indeed."

As Kyo counted his money for the 'little trinket', the man smiled down at him and asked, "Would you like a bag with it?"

Kyo nodded as he continued to count. Just as Kyo was about to set the money into the older man's extended hand, he retracted it back with slight hesitance.

"What's wrong?" The man frowned. "Do you not want it?"

"You said that this was fake, right?" Kyo eyed the skull in the thin, black bag.

"Yes." The man smiled, probably amused by Kyo's wariness.

"Are you sure?" Kyo recalled the feel of the skull in his hand and the way his fingers felt when he placed it in those empty sockets. It felt off almost as if he was treading in forbidden area. "It looks so real."

"Of course." The man made a small gesture around the whole vicinity. "It looks real because we sell good stuff. It's antique, young man. You would be surprised at the prowess that some masters of the arts had back then."

Kyo just swallowed dryly before reluctantly placing the wad of cash into the waiting man's palm.

The man smiled at him again, almost as if Kyo just relieved him of a great burden before quickly checking the money.

"That's it." he picked up the bag and let it hover above the counter, in front of Kyo. As if to encourage Kyo, he added, "Enjoy your new purchase."

Kyo took it in a sweaty fist and rigidly ambled toward the door.

"Good luck with exploring your new antique, young man." He waved as Kyo gave a quick sideway look back before disappearing behind the door. A sole bell that hung above the door chimed as it knocked into the shut door. The man's smile disappeared as it formed into a frown. "You're going to need it."

* * *

A/N: I'm slightly embarrassed to put something so short up. This is probably the shortest work, actually, it is the shortest thing I have ever posted. Thus, because of the length, I will deem this as a prologue and not a real chapter.

You see, my friend texted me about an hour ago in a panic and thus, in return, I reciprocated that panic. We texted for thirty minutes before we said that we would settle that certain said situation tomorrow. So, I'm supposed to go to bed, but since I needed something to settle my nerves, I wrote something real quick. I believe this took about twenty minute. I have always wanted to write something about skulls and Kyo. ^^

By the way, how do you like the title of the prologue? I think it's funny since there can be a couple of different meanings for it.

Since this was an outlet and a spur of the moment (like most of my work. I'll try to update my other stuff.), I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this.

If you want me to continue this, please review.

If I get followers and reviews, then I most likely will continue this. Can't be harsh now, can I?

Anyway, I hope this turns out well and thanks those who decide to review/follow/ favorite.

Anyway, please R&R. Reviews inspire me and make me happy. No flames please. Constructive criticisms are always accepted with open arms.

4/30/13


	2. Chapter 1 Crossing Paths

Chapter 1. Crossing Paths

Kyo held the bag loosely in his palm. He sighed as he turned sharply. He couldn't believe that he bought this but, at the same time, he knew that he couldn't be at ease if he didn't buy it.

"What's so special about you, anyway?" Kyo looked at the skull in the bag.

His head suddenly gave a painful throb causing him to stumble. Reflexively, he reached out and grabbed the edge of a building. He breathed in and out shakily before spotting a bench not too far off. He slouched against it as he waited for the pain to pass.

"What just happened?" Kyo brought a hand up to his temple and massaged it.

Kyo would have been worried, but he wasn't, considering that his state of health has been off lately. He hadn't been able to sleep well for over a week now. His eating was slowly starting to diminish and he was always distracted. Ever since he passed the antique shop two weeks ago by accident, he hadn't been able to perform coherently. He always found his thoughts lingering and trailing back toward the skull that he saw through the window.

Two weeks ago, Momji had invited Tohru to get some ice-cream from a newly opened parlor that he had heard had some exceptional desserts. Being Tohru, she had agreed wholeheartedly. By default, the three other Sohmas had found themselves trailing behind the hyper duo. Thinking back to it, Kyo really wished that he had refused the invite.

"Hurry, Tohru!" Momji squealed as he took her hand and dragged her along. "We have to get there before all the chocolate is gone."

Haru, Yuki, and Kyo followed at a more lazed pace. Kyo had remained quiet as Haru and Yuki made civil conversation. When they had turned a corner, Kyo found his ears buzzing and his heart palpating hard in its cage; he didn't see anything for it to happen, it just occurred. He looked around and found no grimace or change in mood around the others- he was the only that was being affected then.

He ignored it and continued to walk as he cradled his chest to try to calm his throttling heart. Maybe his hormones were acting up. When he stepped into a somewhat threshold of calm, he realized that he was starting to straggle behind. Before he could quicken his pace, a cat appeared out of one of the alleyways and stopped right in front of him. Kyo wasn't too sure but he thought he saw a white aura surround the cat. The airs that suspended the cat look distorted almost as if the cat was giving off strong heat waves.

It meowed at me

"What?" With a start, Kyo realized that he couldn't understand it. He had always been able to understand his feline counterparts no matter how much he dreaded it at times. Unconsciously, Kyo bent down and extended a hand toward it. Kyo was furthered stunned when it bolted away from him and bounded over a fence. Apprehension settled furthered into him_. Something's not right._

"Wait!" Without thinking, Kyo followed suit. Yuki and Haru turned back just in time to see Kyo hurdle over a fence effortlessly and disappear. Momji and Tohru were too far ahead to hear his shout.

Passing dingy alleyways, and squeezing through walls, Kyo managed to find his prize sitting in front of the door steps of small shop. Its tail swooshed back and forth almost as if it was trying to tell Kyo something.

Treading carefully, Kyo approached it and was greatly relieved when it allowed him to pick it up.

"Why can't I understand you?" Kyo cradled it in his arm as it started to purr.

His hands were shaking at the possible thought of losing something that he and the other zodiac shared in common: the ability to communicate with their animal counterparts. He really didn't want another burden to cripple his already tarnished position in the zodiac.

As it nuzzled its head into Kyo's neck, Kyo could hear the buzzing that he had heard earlier amplify and cancel out all other resonances. It didn't take Kyo long to find that the source was coming from inside the shop. However his eyes did not search and look about, it stared straight through the window and landed on the displayed skull. It was almost as if there was an invisible force that waved Kyo's eyes over to it.

His hands fell back to his side like lead. He was vaguely aware that the cat dropped to his feet but it didn't seem startled at the sudden height change. He was starting to feel dizzy.

Just when his digits were about to trace the door's handle, a firm hand locked onto his shoulder. His trance was broken so abruptly that he found his legs buckled underneath him. Haru quickly caught him.

"Kyo, what's wrong with you?" Kyo's grip on Haru's clothes tightened as he tried to orient himself again.

"Haru?" His voice was hoarse. Haru looked down at Kyo with worry evident in his face; his grip around Kyo constricted.

"Are you okay?" Haru asked as Kyo pulled away from him. Yuki was not standing too far off. Even Yuki's face looked concerned.

"I'm fine." Kyo looked around as he spotted his feline friend missing. "Where's the cat?"

"What cat?" It was Yuki.

"There was a cat right here…"

"Is that what you were chasing, you stupid cat?"

Kyo glared at him. "Shut up, damn rat!"

"Kyo," Haru cupped his hands around his eyes and looked into the window of the antique shop while ignoring the fight that was about to erupt. "What were you looking at?"

"Nothing." Kyo immediately eased up which Yuki noticed and found quite odd. Haru gave Kyo a disbelieving look but let the subject drop.

"Come on then," Yuki turned back to their previous path. "Momji and Ms. Honda are probably worried."

"Come on Kyo." Haru gave a soft tug on Kyo's sleeve. Kyo gave one last look at the skull and was surprised to see the cat standing right next to it. He gasped and took a step closer to the window. He blinked and the cat was gone. Was he hallucinating? Shaking his head, Kyo followed his cousins back as confusion settled.

Kyo groaned as he stood from the bench and continued his walk back home. Now that he bought the skull, maybe his mind could be at ease now.

He didn't know how wrong he would be.

* * *

A/N: Once again, I'm sorry for the brevity of the chapter. I have the main idea for this story, but I'm having trouble getting there. So, I apologize if this chapter was boring. I'll try harder, I swear.

Thank you so much to those who reviewed/followed/ favorited! You don't know how much it means to me and how much it makes my day.

Anyway, please R&R. Reviews inspire me and make me happy. No flames please. Constructive criticisms are always accepted with open arms.

5/10/13


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